Improvement in combined shoulder-brace and suspenders



G. H.-CUSHMAN. Combined Shoulder Brace and Suspenders.- No, 201,597.

Patented March 26,1878

I nv 707:0"

N. FETEBS. PHOTO-LITHGGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED Y STATE PATENT OFFIoE.

CHARLES H. OUSHMA N, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED SH OULDER-BRACE AND SUSPENDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,597, dated March26, 1878; application filed 'November 23, 1877.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. GUsHMAN,

of the'city of Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania,haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Shoulder-Braces andSuspenders Combined, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to shoulder-braces (commonly so called)'forrestraining and cor recting the improper carriage of the upper part ofthe body, known as stoopin'g, round shouldered, &c., and'to'suspendersfor'supporting garments on the body. 7 Such braces have generally beenso con structed as to be objectionable, first, on ac'- count ofirksomeness and cumbersomeness, owing to the amount of materialemployed,

the degree of restraint appliedin their action, and the unyieldingcharacter of construction and application to the wearer; secondly, on

account of the irritation, pain, and oftentimes actual sorenessproduced, especially in the hollow around and under the arm-pit, by thestraps passing over that locality, 'resulting partly from its ligaturecharacter, partly from chafe, especially when moistened' 'by perspiration, and partly from the tenderness of that part; thirdly, on accountof the obstruction to circulation when tightened so as to be effectiveas intended; fourthly, on account "of their mode of operation, which isby a con siderable' and constant backward pull and; support to theshoulders, entirely relieving and protuberance of which are essentialparts of stooping especially, such braces being usually and practicallyapplied across theback on the line of the shoulders only. i

Such suspenders have generally been so constructed as to support thegarments irregularly, to restrain to a certain extent the mo tions ofthe body by lack of free play of the parts-fastened together at one ormore points of intersection, and by the arrangement of the parts topress down in the hollows between neck and shoulders and over thebreasts,

so as to be uncomfortable, and induce stooping, &c.

The object of my invention was and is primarilyto produce in reality asubstitute for shoulder-braces which, by the arrangement of the severalparts of the material used,

should operate to encourage and induce :a proper carriage of the upperpart of the body by the exercise and consequent strengthening of all themuscles properto that end, act as a support or stay only sofar as wasnecessarily consequent upon this arrangement, and accommodate fully allpersistent and intentional movements of thebody, at the same time thatthey should be as light and any as possible, an'dfree from irksomeness'and'chafe to the wearer. Incidentally the bracesact as suspenders, freefrom the objections and defects named above: i The invention consists,then, first, of an arrangementof or disposition of the material. usedfor the braces and suspenders, such as to-efiect the action described inthe proper manner and at the proper points; and, second, in a device forretaining the different parts of the material in proper relation overand under each other where they cross, while admitting thenecessarymovement over each other and around the point of intersection;In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aplan of the braces andsuspenders spread out back'upward, so as to show the arrangement of theparts a'nd'the position and appli cation of the device referred to, thefull lines showing the style with two ends or points of attachment oneach side, and the broken lines a third end or point of attachment, tobe provided if taste or necessity require, especially in the case ofcorpulent persons. Fig. 2 is a plan of a modification of the last forproducing a stronger support and corrective for 'per-' sons of weakback. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the braces, &c., in. the style'which Isuppose to bemost generally used, as if in-position upon the body. Figs.4-, 5, and 6 are, respectively, side,front, andback elevations of thelast as in position on the 'body. Figs. 7 and 8 are,respectively, a planand a vertical sec-- tion (through one diameter of the plan) of thedevice for keeping the parts in proper rela tion, finished ready. for.use. Figs. 9 and 11 are perspectives of the two exactly similar parts ofthe same ready for putting together,

with corresponding diameters at right angles to each other, as when puttogether. Figs. 10 and 12 are sections of the lasttwo through theircorresponding relative diameters. Fig. 13 is a plan of one of theseparts as it is cut or struck out of the metal or other material used.Figs. 14 and 15 are, respectively, a plan of one of the parts of theguide-clasp, with the half-disks out upon an oblique instead of a rightdiameter, and an elevation, showing manner of putting parts together inthat case.

' I will first describe the arrangement of the material used for thebraces, &c.

, The main straps pass from a point, A, Figs. '1 to 5, inclusive, alittle in front of and about on a line with the armpits on each side,upward to the points A, Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, on the proper shouldera little inside of the joint, the outer edge really touching the joint;thence obliquely backward over the proper 1 shoulder and toward theopposite one; thence obliquely downward and across the back, Figs.

'1, 2, 3, and 6, passing over the upper point of the propershoulder-blade, intersecting between the shoulders, but a little belowthem at B; thence passing over the lower point of the oppositeshoulder-blade, over the lumbar muscles of the opposite side, Figs. 3,4, and 6,

at the point C; thence partly around that side 'of the body to a pointof attachment to the waist-belt of the proper garment, or one worn forthe purpose, D, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the direction of these straps at Dbeing such that, if continued, they would pass obliquely downward andacross the abdomen, and, meeting,

would form a band for its support.

The subordinate straps, when but two ends on each side are used, aresecured to their respective main straps on each side at A, Figs. v1 to5, inclusive, by any proper device, and 'pass thence obliquely downwardand back-' ward around the proper side, Figs. 3, 4, and

.5, across the lumbar muscles on that side, and intersecting with theopposite main strap at the point 0, Figs. 3, 4, and 6; thence to pointsof attachment to the waist-belt at E, Figs. 1, 3, and 6, a little ontheir own side of the middle line of the back, their direction at Ebeing such that, if continued, they would'pass' obliquely down andaround the opposite side and across the abdomen, about at the same pointwith and nearly in the same direction with their respectivemain straps.

When three ends or points of attachment are used, (broken lines A F,Figs. 1 and 2, dotted lines A F, Fig. 3, and full lines A F,

Figs. 4 and 5,) this subordinate strap, instead of being fastened at A,is passed throughany proper device at that point, and continued to apoint of attachment, F, on the waist-belt a little farther from themiddle line of the front than customary with suspenders, which have thisstyle ormodification, which I suppose to be most commonly-preferred, andis the general illustration of the invention. -When a more powerfulsupport and more positive check to the habit of stooping, &c., isdesired, the subordinate straps A E, A E, or F A E, F A E, Fig. 2, arecrossed at G, each to the point of attachment of the other beforedescribed.

, By considering this arrangement of the parts of the material used, itwill be seen that unavoidably a pressure, which is, however, veryslight, will be produced by the main straps in opposition to anythrowing forward of the shoulder-joints just below A, Fig. 5, to anyprojection outward of the shoulder-blades, or at G of the lumbarmuscles, Figs. 6 and 4, and when the braces are attached to articleslike pantaloons or drawers of males, or to any substitute for theupperpart of such for females or males, this pressure will becommunicated to the abdomen through such garment or substitute from thepoints D. The subordinate straps A E or A E F contribute to thispressure, which opposes the throwing forward of they shoulderjoint andthe throwing out at O of the lumbar muscles. This unavoidable pressureof the braces upon these points, even when worn by persons of erectcarriage, is, however, but very slight, amounting only to a gentle stayor support,'except when the ends E are crossed "at G, Fig. 2, when itbecomes more positive,

and in the incidental or primary use as. suspenders, while the garmentsare properly and equably supported,.is agreeable rather than irksome. Atthe same time, when the articles are worn either as braces orsuspenders, all the parts have all the necessary play in any directionto accommodate any persistent and intentional motion of the body by theexercise of the proper muscles for that motion, instead of by therelaxation of other muscles," especially that in leaning forward, thesubordinate straps A E, A E, or F A E, F A E, being slackened in'thedirection of E A, allow the back part of the garment to accommodateitself to the downward pull from E E; also, it will be seen that theportions A A, being well out on the shoulder, and at A well out from theswell of the breasts, while .at the same time entirely clear of thearmpits, or the angle just in front of and above them, produce noirritating or inconvenient pressure at either of those points; and,finally, that the whole arrangement is light, and without cumbersomenessor obstruction to ventilation of the body.,

When, now, these braces are worn as subh by persons inclined to stoop,to round'the shoulders, or to flatten in the chest, so soon as thistendency begins to operate, the slight pressure, support, or stay at thepoints described is increased to a decided check, in-

body above the hips. It will be found, in addition, that indirectlythisposition will conduce to the proper carriage of the head, and to theelastic step from the hip, so essential to easy walking.

I proceed now to describe the device which I call a double guide clasp,bywhich the parts of the material are held in proper relation withoutobstructing necessary play upon and around the points of intersection.This is formed of two exactly similar parts, one of which is shown inplan, Fig. 13, consisting each of a circular disk, G, connected on eachside at a a (or b b in the other half, if shown) with a half-disk, H, ofthe same diameter, by a narrow strip continuation of the material,(usually metal) used in its production.

These disks and half-disks are given an annular form, for lightness andconvenience of interlocking, by striking out disks and halfdisks intheir centers.

The half-disks c a a c are turned around a (t or b b as an axis, partlyupon the whole disks, as shown in Figs. 9,10, 11, and 12.

The ends 0 c of Figs. 11 and 12, for example, the part in Fig. 11 beingturned over for the purpose, are now inserted or hooked under the sidesof the half-disks of the part in Figs. 9 and 10, and reciprocally forthese latter. The parts are then flattened toward each other, thehalf-disks of each being between the whole and half-disks of the other,and, mandrels be ing inserted between the whole disks of each and thehalf-disks of the other to preserve space and give form, the parts arefully fiattened down to the shape of the finished guideclasp, as shownin Figs. 7 and 8.

The half -disks may also be cut (Fig. 14) upon an oblique instead of aright diameter, such that each shall have one end or leg longer than theother by the width of the connecting-strips on the circumference of thewhole disk, the long leg of each on either part of a guide-clasp beingon the same side with the short leg of the other. When thus cut thehalf-disks are turned upon the whole disks, as before; but, in puttingthe two parts of the clasp togeth'er, the long legs of the half-disks ofone part are (Fig. 15) sprung under the long legs of those of the otherpart, and the two parts are then turned upon a common center in oppositedirections till the short ends of the one can be sprung under those ofthe other, so as to interlock, as before. By this form or manner ofcutting the half-disks on an oblique diameter instead of y a rightdiameter, and the resulting ability to put the two halves of a clasptogether, as described, the character of the clasp is not changed, northe function thereof, while a decided advantage is gained in the laborof putting the two halves of a clasp together whenever the material isspringy or stiif instead of soft, and it will presumably be preferredover the other form or manner of cutting the halfdisk or a rightdiameter, with legs or ends of cqual'length. Thus is produced a deviceof two parts held together with spaces, through which strips of materialof the properwidth and thickness may be passed at angles with eachother, be held in proper position to each other, and. yet be free toslide lengthwise of each other or turn in their planes about a commonintersection a half-circle, less twice the width of theconnecting-strips a at b, and which, being used to pass the parts of thematerial of the braces, &c., through at B, Figs. 1, '2, 3, and 6, at 0,Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, and at G, Fig. 2, retain those parts inposition without preventing necessary play.

The arrangements of material before described, theconstruction of theguide-clasp, and its application now pointed out constitute myinvention.

There are subordinate modifications of the arrangement of materialcontemplated, such as passing the straps A E through any suitable loopon a waist-belt for females, at D, then through a similar one attached.to the main strap, terminating at 0, instead of using the guide-claspthere, and thence to E, orof having A E, A E, on one piece, and passingthrough, in addition, or only a similar loop on the middle of the backof the waist-belt between E E, instead of using the guide-clasp at G.Also, the guide-clasp may be made of wire, or in any modification of theexact form shown which does not interfere with the principle ofconstruction; but, after many experiments, I prefer the arrangement andthe form shown and described, as best suiting the ob ject in view, with,perhaps, the exception of the size in special cases of a loop on themiddle of waist-belt, and the unity of A E, A E, passing through A,instead of using theguideclasp at G.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combinedshoulder-brace and suspenders, consisting of the straps A B (J D E,constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The combined shoulder-brace and suspenders, consisting of the strapsA B G D E F, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The double guide-clasp, composed of two parts, each consisting of thedisk G and halfdisks H H, constructed and combined to operatesubstantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with shoulder-brace or suspenderstraps, arranged tocross on the back, the double guide-clasp, constructed as described, forthe purpose set forth.

G. H. GUSHMAN.

Witnesses J AGOB F. WALTHER, 011s. VIREU'BER.

